8 Friendly Towns To Retire In Arkansas
Think of a place where neighbors give a spontaneous lunch invite, where a random person chats with you and offers to be helpful, and where business transactions are invariably sealed with warm handshakes and an inquiry about how your weekend unfolded. The truth is, that's a spot you can't possibly trade for the world. It doesn't matter if it costs a million. Fortunately, Arkansas offers various versions of such locations, but with several bonuses, including unbelievable affordability and spellbinding outdoor beauty. Northwest Arkansas is particularly heart-stirring. So, have a realtor on speed dial, especially now that you are about to discover eight friendly towns to retire in Arkansas.
Mountain Home
Tucked away a dozen or so miles below the Missouri border, in a setting that features jaw-dropping outdoor elegance, Mountain Home is a friendly spot with epic recreational opportunities. The Red White & Blue Festival, today one of the most anticipated events in the region, is a family-friendly, community festival that offers a parade, rodeo, car show, and lively concerts, with the highlight being an amazing fireworks display on Saturday night. If you are bored, you can bring a friend to the Twin Lakes Playhouse, an iconic theatre and a cornerstone of Baxter County's cultural scene that has been entertaining area residents for over five decades.
If not having quality healthcare close to home is a deal breaker, you will be comforted that Baxter Health is at your doorstep and was recognized by Newsweek as one of the top 8 hospitals in Arkansas. From burning your legs at David's Trail to practicing your swings at Big Creek Golf & Country Club, outdoor recreational opportunities here come in spades. Then there's the Van Matre Senior Activity & Wellness Centre, which offers social, nutritional, and wellness programmes to empty nesters in the area.
Russellville
Rural Arkansas beckons retirees who enjoy life's simple pleasures, a peaceful setting, and water-based recreation. Russellville is in the lush, rolling hills of West-central Arkansas and is set along the Arkansas River between the Ozark Mountains and the Ouachita Mountains, and you can imagine the implications. In short, it is difficult for even the most ardent homebody to stay inside. From the 35,000-acre Lake Dardanelle to the adjoining Lake Dardanelle State Park, which boasts some of the top bicycling trails in Arkansas, a retiree here can easily be spoiled for choice.
Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and grab a front-row seat to Russellville’s summer concert series or wait for the Russellville Christmas Parade, arguably the largest lit parade in Arkansas. There's UEC Theatres 11, where you can watch a movie with peers and have a good laugh, and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Centre, which has been a cornerstone of healthcare for the Arkansas River Valley for about a century. Also, Pope County Senior Activity Centre is a fantastic place for seniors who have a little extra time to spend with others. They offer tasty and affordable meals, a mini gym, a small library, and several opportunities for mutual interaction, including the chance to play cards.
Hot Springs
You probably know Hot Springs for its opulent bathhouses. Wait until you discover its fun festivals and its traditional reputation as a vacation destination. Hot Springs Village (HSV), a gated retirement community a short drive north of town, is billed as "America's largest gated community." Think of 16,000 residents, nine golf courses, and eleven lakes. An occasional visit to Hot Springs National Park, especially to one of the bathhouses, can be a rejuvenating way to spend an afternoon. Gallery Walk electrifies the town on the first Friday of each month, as does the free Hot Springs Jazz Festival, which typically takes place around Labour Day.
The Downtown Farmers' Market is open Saturday mornings, and live entertainment in the Arlington Hotel's big lobby is always a memorable way to spend a Saturday evening. There's the Women's Welcome Club, a volunteer group that makes newcomers feel at home, while the Hot Springs Senior Center offers classes and workshops that many empty nesters will find relevant. Not to be outdone, McAuley Center, which is free to seniors age 60 and older, provides nutritious meals and fun events throughout the week. Finally, Hot Springs has four general hospitals, including the award-winning CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs, which accepts Medicare patients.
Harrison
A well-known access point for America's first National River, Harrison is a friendly community that focuses less on tourism and more on authentic community life. Residents often look forward to the Arkansas State Hot Air Balloon Festival, a September carnival that features live music, food, and helicopter rides. Also, Lyric Theater is a beloved community resource that has been entertaining Harrison residents for more than 90 years. Even if you are not a social butterfly, you will have many things to enjoy with a few close friends. On healthcare access, North Arkansas Regional Medical Centre offers several specialist services, including cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics. It was recently recognized by the American Heart Association with several awards for its care of stroke patients.
Meanwhile, Boone County Senior Activities & Wellness Center is a community-focused facility that provides socialization opportunities to residents aged 60 and above, as well as transportation and wellness services. You can occasionally break a sweat at the popular Lost Valley Trail, about 40 minutes southwest of town, or have it easy but scenic at the historic Haggard Ford Swinging Bridge.
Batesville
Batesville is a vibrant college town along the White River known for its unique history, award-winning parks, a thriving historic district, and family-friendly festivals. Lyon College, an independent, co-educational liberal arts college with a strong academic programme, brings a bit of diversity and cultural flair to the town and imbues the area with a mist of youthful energy. Of course, college towns are often more welcoming and fun-filled, and one of the best ways to prove this is to experience the annual Arkansas Scottish Festival and Homecoming, when pipers, drummers, and several Scottish clans from various corners of the country come to stage piping competitions, display unique handmade crafts, and enjoy countless tongue-tingling delicacies.
From the Batesville Community Theatre to the Melba Theater, considered the heartbeat of Main Street Batesville, this community tries to make boredom a regrettable personal choice. For first-rate medical care, you can hardly go wrong with White River Medical Center (WRMC), a 224-bed regional referral center named one of the Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals in the nation by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. You can also float down the White River or drift into bliss at Riverside Park.
Bella Vista
You will want to pay attention to Bella Vista and to its leafy neighborhoods because it started as a planned resort and a members-only retirement community in the mid-1960s. Today, the town continues to draw retirees in droves, especially those who love the scenic environment, the available amenities, outstanding outdoor recreation, quiet way of life, and warm, friendly neighbors. Think of a place where tree frogs sing in the evenings, which has five recreation centers with pools, and which has extensive walking trails to regularly explore. Mercy Hospital has a facility in town, although you may want to opt for Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville or Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in nearby Rogers.
Bella Vista Arts & Crafts Festival, considered one of the premier arts and crafts shows in Northwest Arkansas, features a wide variety of goods, including pottery, and over 200 artisans. If craving a more epic cultural scene, Rogers is just 15 minutes down the road and has fantastic theatres, including the iconic Arkansas Public Theatre, located in one of the oldest buildings in the area. There's the Bella Vista Country Club Golf Course and Clubhouse, if you want to touch base with friends over a round of golf, and Tanyard Creek Nature Trail, whose forest canopy keeps you cool as you indulge in some heart-pounding outdoor action.
Searcy
Searcy is another hot cake with empty nesters, partly because of its college-town atmosphere, organized senior services, strong community support, and fun-filled cultural events. John E. Lightle Center, a highly cherished community gathering place, offers meals, fitness classes, transportation to medical appointments, and various social activities. Harding University, established in the 1920s, is a nice place to enroll in a course, and lifts up the cultural profile of the town more than any other institution.
The White County Fair, an annual carnival packed with entertainment and activities for all ages, including thrilling rides and livestock showing, is the largest in Arkansas. It has also been voted one of the TOP 10 county fairs in the nation. There's the Rialto Theater, if you want to occasionally enjoy a matinee with your next-door neighbour, and Unity Health—White County Medical Center, which has been treating area residents for over 50 years. Also, Riverside Park has scenic trails, a nice pavilion, and a beautiful playground.
Eureka Springs
Crowning off the friendliest places to retire in Arkansas is Eureka Springs, a lively Victorian village, a colorful artists’ retreat, and a top-notch vacation destination, all at the same time. What particularly makes Eureka Springs tick are the many events that bring people together, including The Blues Weekend, the Ozark Folk Festival, the Food and Wine Festival, and the Bikes, Blues and BBQ Festival, for which the Farm Campground & Events near Eureka Springs is the official campground.
From the Eureka Springs School of the Arts, which offers classes to budding artists, to the iconic Opera in the Ozarks, which presents three productions each summer season, there are several opportunities to mingle with peers, all while learning or having a good time. There's the Eureka Springs Carnegie Public Library, if you want to hide with a gripping read, and Mercy Hospital Berryville in nearby Berryville, a decent facility accredited by the Joint Commission. Lake Leatherwood City Park, which has a clear lake and miles of trails for hiking, is within earshot.
So, although it is fun to retire in a place where you wake up to lovely water views, craggy mountaintops, or delicious sunsets, it will count for nothing if it comes with low-key frowns or if people give you a wide berth, so that you feel unwanted. But the opposite experience is worth all the lakes and mountains in the world. While you probably know about Southern Hospitality, one town is usually not as friendly as the next one, meaning you have to dig a bit deeper and ask those who matter most: the locals.
